Hyderabad: iBomma piracy website operator Immadhi Ravi held; bank accounts with ₹3 Cr frozen

Hyderabad: Hyderabad Cyber Crime police have arrested Immadhi Ravi, a key operator of the notorious iBomma piracy website ring.

This is seen as a breakthrough against digital and movie piracy.

Ravi, who had publicly mocked the police and Tollywood with challenges to stop him, was picked up from his residence at Kukatpally soon after arriving in Hyderabad from France on Friday.

Later, he was taken to the Central Crime Station (CCS) at Basheerbagh and later produced before a magistrate, who sent him to judicial custody.

Operated iBomma from Abroad

Investigators revealed that he had been running the platform remotely from the Caribbean Islands.

Police officials said Ravi oversaw the upload and distribution of pirated Telugu films and OTT content through the iBomma website.

Preliminary findings also suggest that Ravi may have acquired citizenship in a Caribbean nation to further shield his operations. Officials said the claim is being verified, and a clearer picture is expected soon.

Ravi is believed to have coordinated with an overseas technical team to maintain site operations and ensure the regular release of illegal content. The platform has been a persistent source of financial losses for the Telugu film industry.

Global Operations: Sourcing films from multiple countries

Police believe Ravi maintained setups in both France and the Caribbean, through which he sourced high-quality prints of newly released movies.

After his arrest, multiple iBomma mirror sites were pulled down. Authorities are now examining his financial records and preparing to freeze several bank accounts.

Investigators also suspect he had a wide network of associates in India helping him acquire new films before they reached theatres or OTT platforms.

Bank accounts with ₹3 Cr frozen

Following his arrest, police froze Ravi’s bank accounts containing nearly Rs 3 crore, which authorities suspect are proceeds from large-scale piracy activities.

Previous complaints triggered probe

The Telugu Film Anti-Piracy Team and several film producers had earlier lodged complaints against the widespread circulation of newly released movies on iBomma.

These reports prompted intensified surveillance and investigation, eventually leading police to track Ravi’s international movements and apprehend him upon arrival.

Hunt on for wider network

Officials said further investigation is underway to identify other members of the network involved in running the piracy platform. More arrests are likely as digital forensics and financial trails are examined.

Massive losses to Tollywood

Officials highlighted that the Telugu film industry has suffered heavy financial losses as a result of these activities. According to estimates shared during the session, piracy has cost the industry nearly Rs 3,700 crore over the years.

Major films including Mirai, Kishkindapuri, OG, Kantara, Kannappa and several others were illegally uploaded on the iBomma network. Hindi and English titles were also circulated through the platform.

Police had also found earlier that the piracy racket had links with online betting networks, prompting the platform to frequently switch URLs to evade detection.

Cloudflare hosting shielded Piracy Sites

TFCC pointed out that iBomma and its related domains were hosted on Cloudflare, a content delivery network known for providing enhanced anonymity.

“Nearly 95% of global piracy websites, including iBomma, use Cloudflare hosting. This shielding makes takedown operations extremely difficult,” the TFCC said.

Background

In September, Hyderabad Cybercrime police booked as many as 65 mirror websites, including the widely used iBomma and Bappam platforms, for illegally uploading and distributing Telugu films.

The action follows a complaint from the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC). The film body said rampant piracy is causing massive losses to the industry.

In a separate meeting with the Telugu film fraternity, the police also detailed the wider network of piracy, explaining that the investigation had identified several notorious piracy portals, including TamilMV, Tamil Blasters, and Movierulz.

Film actors K Chiranjeevi, Venkatesh Daggubati, Akkineni Nagarjuna, and Nani, alongside producers, exhibitors, digital distribution partners, and Telangana Film Development Corporation Chairman Dil Raju, were also part of the meeting.

Police officials also used the meeting to brief representatives of the Telugu film industry on the key findings of their investigation. They explained that cybercriminals were primarily relying on in-theatre recording and digital distribution hacks to leak and circulate pirated content online.